DISSERTATION Titel der Dissertation Comparative analysis of high-alpine and subnival vegetation of mountain ecosystems in Iran (Alborz and NW-Iran) and assessing the impacts of climate change and land-use verfasst von Jalil Noroozi Eshlaghi angestrebter akademischer Grad Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Wien, 2013 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 094 437 Dissertationsgebiet lt. Studienblatt: Biologie Betreut von: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Georg Grabherr Acknowledgment I would like to express my sincere thanks to my supervisor, Prof. Georg Grabherr, who gave me the opportunity to come to Austria for my PhD study at the University of Vienna and work within the GLORIA long-term observation programme. I am deeply grateful to Harald Pauli who assisted my thesis and helped me scientifically and morally during deferent processes of the thesis. Wolfgang Willner is particularly acknowledged for supervising the vegetation task of my thesis and spending a long time to help me to publish the vegetation papers. I thank all members of GLORIA team in Vienna (Michael Gottfried, Christian Klettner, Sonya Laimer, Andrea Lamprecht and Sophie Niessner) and also members of Faculty Centre of Biodiversity for their help and reception through these years. Ernst Vitek and Walter Till, the curators of the Herbaria W and WU, respectively, are acknowledged for their help to access the plant specimens from my study area. I thank Norbert Sauberer (Gramineae), Prof F. Ehrendorfer (Rubiaceae), Prof. D. Podlech (Astragalus), Adolf Polatschek (Erysimum), Bruno Wallnöfer (Carex) and Hildemar Scholtz (Festuca and Bromus) for determination of certain critical taxa. Many thanks go to Stefan Schindler for his helps during my accommodation in Vienna. I am deeply obliged to my family and specially my wife for their supports. This work was mainly supported by the GLORIA co-ordination at the University of Vienna and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (www.gloria.ac.at). I Table of contents List of original publications ………………………………………………….…… 1 Author’s contribution to each publication………………………………………….... 1 Abstract………………………………………………………..…………………… 2 Zussamenfassung……………………………………...………………………..….. 4 Introduction………………………………………….……………..……………… 6 Chapter 1: Plant diversity and phytogeography at the upper limit of vascular plants of Iran and potential effect of global warming on these habitats…….…………….. 18 Chapter 2: Unknown elements of the subnival-nival flora of Iran ………………. 50 Chapter 3: Vegetation of the alpine and subnival-nival zones of N and NW Iran... 92 Conclusions……………………………………………………..………………... 137 Curriculum Vitae ……………………………………………………………….. 140 II PhD Thesis of Jalil Noroozi Eshlaghi 2013 List of original publications The thesis is based on the following publications: 1. Noroozi, J., Pauli, H., Grabherr, G. & Breckle, S.W. (2011) The subnival-nival vascular plant species of Iran: a unique high-mountain flora and its threat from climate warming. Biodiversity and Conservation 20: 1319-1338. 2. Noroozi, J., Willner, W., Pauli, H. & Grabherr, G. (2013) Phytosociology and ecology of the high-alpine to subnival scree vegetation of N and NW Iran (Alborz and Azerbaijan Mts.). Applied Vegetation Science DOI: 10.1111/avsc.12031. 3. Noroozi, J., Ajani, Y. (2013) A new alpine species of Nepeta sect. Capituliferae (Labiatae) from Northwestern Iran. Novon 22: 297–303. 4. Noroozi, J., Ajani, Y., Nordenstam, B. (2010) A new annual species of Senecio (Compositae- Senecioneae) from subnival zone of southern Iran with comments on phytogeographical aspects of the area. Compositae News Letter 48: 43-62. 5. Ajani, Y., Noroozi, J. & Levichev, I.G. (2010) Gagea alexii (Liliaceae), a new record from subnival zone of southern Iran with key and notes on sect. Incrustatae. Pakistan Journal of Botany 42: 67-77. 6. Noroozi, J. (In press). High mountain regions of Iran (chapter 7.6), in C. Hobohm (editor). Endemism in Vascular Plants. Springer. Author’s contribution to each publication Publications 1 2 3 4 5 6 Idea and design + + + + - + Sampling + + + + + + Data analysis + + + + - + Writing + + + + + + 1 PhD Thesis of Jalil Noroozi Eshlaghi 2013 Abstract Iran is a mountainous country where rather small patches of alpine habitats are scattered across large mountain areas. The diverse flora and vegetation of these habitats have been poorly investigated so far, despite the high rate of narrowly distributed plant species which are expectedly very vulnerable to climate change impacts. The aim of this thesis is to study the flora and vegetation of the high alpine to subnival-nival elevation belts of Iran with emphasis on N- (Alborz) and NW-Iran (Sahand and Sabalan), its biodiversity in relation to elevation and its vegetation patterns in comparison with neighboring mountain systems, as well as its potential threats through climate warming. The thesis is divided into two related research foci, the first on high-altitude species, the second on their vegetation patterns. The first study deals with assessing the plant diversity and phytogeography of vascular plants occurring in the uppermost elevation belts of Iran, and attempts to give a first estimate on the risk of biodiversity losses through effects of climate change. This work was based on an extensive literature research and on additional field observations. All vascular plant species living in the subnival–nival zone of Iranian mountains (151 species) and those restricted to this zone (51) were identified. The elevational and geographical distribution patterns of these species were analyzed and the current distribution patterns are discussed with respect to potential warming- induced species losses. The rate of endemics (endemic to Iran, in most cases however far more restricted distributions) increases sharply with increasing elevation. The narrow distribution of most of Iran’s cold-adapted mountain flora and the low potential of alternative cold habitats render it highly vulnerable to climate change. Furthermore, Iran’s high mountains may host a number of still unknown species, as this study revealed two subnival-nival vascular plant species new to science: Senecio subnivalis (on Hezar Mts in south Iran) and Nepeta sahandica, (on Sahand, NW Iran), and a highly disjunct occurrence of Gagea alexii. The original descriptions of these discoverings and of these species’ vegetation ecology are arranged in a separate chapter. The second main research focus of the thesis was on the vegetation of the alpine and subnival- nival zones of N and NW Iran. In total, about 700 vegetation relevés have been collected from different habitats of the study area during the MSc and PhD theses. This thesis mainly deals with 2 PhD Thesis of Jalil Noroozi Eshlaghi 2013 high-elevation scree vegetation, using 141 relevés for analysis and phytosociological classification. A synoptic table of the most important alliances of scree vegetation in the European Alps, the Balkan Peninsula, the Caucasus, Anatolia, as well as the alliances described in the present paper was prepared to show the floristic and syntaxonomic relationship of these regions. All high-alpine and subnival scree communities of the study area were arranged in one class, two orders, and three alliances which are new for the science. This was the first formal syntaxonomic classification of the high mountain scree vegetation of Iran. 3 PhD Thesis of Jalil Noroozi Eshlaghi 2013 Zusammenfassung Iran ist ein Gebirgsland. Alpine Habitate sind jedoch über ausgedehnte Gebirgsräume weit zerstreut und stark fragmentiert. Die artenreiche Flora und Vegetation dieser Habitate wurde bislang kaum untersucht. Dies trotz des hohen Anteils engräumig verbreiteter Arten und der dadurch erwarteten hohen Anfälligkeit auf Effekte des Klimawandels. Ziel dieser Dissertation ist das Studium der Flora und Vegetation der hoch-alpinen bis subnival- nivalen Höhenstufen Irans, mit einem speziellen Fokus auf das Elburs-Gebirge in Nord-Iran und die isolierteren Bergstöcke Sahand und Sabalan im Nordwesten. Im speziellen bezieht sich die Arbeit auf Biodiversitätsmuster entlang des Höhengradienten, auf die Vegetationszusammensetzung im Vergleich mit benachbarten Gebirgsräumen und auf das Gefährdungspotential bezüglich Klimaerwärmung. Die Arbeit ist in zwei Themenbereiche gegliedert, wobei sich der erste auf die Artenmuster, der zweite auf die Vergesellschaftung der Arten bezieht. Teil 1 beinhaltet eine detaillierte phytogeographische Erfassung aller in den obersten Höhenstufen vorkommenden Gefäßpflanzenarten und versucht, darauf aufbauend, eine erste Risikoabschätzung von klimawandelinduzierten Biodiversitätsverlusten zu geben. Die Studie basiert auf eingehender Literaturrecherche sowie ergänzenden Felderhebungen. Für die gesamte subnival-nival-Stufe wurden 151 Arten identifiziert, 51 davon sind auf diese Höhenstufe beschränkt. Anhand der Verbreitungsmuster der Arten entlang des Vertikalgradienten und der geographischen Verbreitung wird das Potential für erwärmungsinduzierte Artenverluste diskutiert. Der Endemitenanteil (Iran-Endemiten, meist jedoch sind es sehr lokal verbreitete Arten) zeigte einen sehr deutlichen Anstieg mit der Höhenlage. Sehr engräumig verbreitete Arten zeigen also eine Häufung in der höchsten, nur sehr kleinflächigen Höhenstufe. Diese kälteadaptierten Gebirgsspezialisten sind demnach hochgradig anfällig auf Klimawandeleinflüsse. Darüber hinaus sind für die iranischen Gebirge noch etliche unbekannte Gefäßpflanzenarten zu erwarten, wie durch die Neufunde im Rahmen dieser Studie angezeigt ist. Zwei Arten, Senecio subnivalis (im Hezar-Gebirge